Chapter Thirteen
Daniel
In the past few hours, I introduced Ashley to several of the gadgets in my playroom, and after using the devices on her, explained several naïve mistakes she made in her manuscript regarding a number of scenes in her book. I have to admit that I’m impressed. She’s an eager and willing student. I can’t even begin to count how many women I have fucked over the years, but there’s something different about Ashley. It isn’t just the fact that I, an expert, am introducing her to this new world.
It’s that we seem to connect on a level I didn’t expect. Her body seemed to sense what I needed before I did. She enticed me in ways others haven’t, and she wasn’t doing it on purpose. She’s a natural. Her passion is unmistakable. No, her breasts aren’t extraordinarily large; rather they are a large B cup, maybe venturing into C territory. But more than a handful is a waste anyway, right?
I don’t think my reaction to our playtime had anything to do with the fact that I had never done this with her, either. I never tutored anyone before. I had many encounters with women I had never met before, nor after. But there is something about Ashley that just seems so fresh, so… I can’t even name it.
She dresses slowly. I watch. Now the shyness has returned. Not overt, but I sense it. Perhaps even a touch embarrassed, but she’s game. I like that about her. That mixture of naivete with such a zest for adventure. Coy shyness that’s natural, not faked. Her pleasure wasn’t faked either. I know that she gained pleasure from our exercises. I also gained pleasure. It was a win-win.
I went so far as to contemplate inviting her to the bondage club. I’ve never even considered bringing someone to the club. I never really felt like I needed to. I get everything I want there and then some. Plenty of women and couples looking for partners. For different kinds of sex. No questions. No demands, no strings.
This thing with Ashley, this feeling she gives me… I feel relaxed. It’s more than just getting my rocks off. I actually enjoy spending time with her. Today wasn’t so much about release as it was in exploration, seeing this world through fresh eyes. Usually after a scene, I’m ready to go. I hate lingering. I despise women who want to linger with me afterward. Crystal learned early on that our interactions were about one thing and one thing only. Fast, hard, hot sex. She wanted to be dominated and I wanted to dominate. With Ashley, it’s a bit different. Yes, I’m still her Dom and she my sub, but there’s a sweetness about her, something that I can’t quite wrap my mind around.
I realize I’m lingering. Taking pleasure in just watching her get dressed. I watch every move, every tilt of her head, the way her hair drapes over her face as she bends slightly to don her pants. I watch her fingers as they slip on her tennis shoes. I smile. This is a new feeling, and I like it. I don’t want it to be over.
Thoughts of work, of my mother, of Karen, of the demands everyone place on me are gone. I’m just living in the moment and enjoying every second of it. Ashley stands and turns to me. She isn’t sure if she can approach or whether she should stay until I tell her she can move.
“I’m just Daniel now, Ashley,” I say. “Come over here.”
She does, smiling hesitantly, glancing at me and then quickly glancing away. Her cheeks are still flushed, her eyes glistening. “So, what do you think?”
She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it, slightly shaking her head before trying again.
“I— I was surprised by a few things, and I was more than startled a couple of times, but I liked it.”
She’s honest too. This world is still new to her. No amount of research can compare to the real thing. “You think you learned a few things along the way?”
“Yes, I did. And you’re right. If I’m going to write about it, I have to know what it all feels like. The thoughts that goes through your mind when…” she pauses. “I’m blabbering,” she admits, offering a slight shrug.
I know her well enough now to know that the slight shrug is a sign of awkward embarrassment. “No, you’re not blabbering. I want you to benefit from these… lessons,” I say. “It will make your writing better.”
She dips her eyes and nods, not looking me in the eye. What is that? Disappointment? I’m not going to tell her that this has been one of the most invigorating afternoons I’ve spent in a long time. I’m not going to tell her that I enjoyed myself supremely, that she was a most willing pupil, and a good one at that. I can’t go there. She has to know that this—our sexual encounters—are just that. Sex.
Is that the only reason I brought her down here to my playroom? It was part of it, yes, but after reading her manuscript, I couldn’t deny my curiosity. Only part of my curiosity was assuaged this afternoon. There is so much more to learn about Ashley— I stop myself right there, straighten, and gesture toward the stairs. “We should go.”
No. I absolutely cannot get involved emotionally with Ashley. As I watch her walk across the basement floor toward the stairs, I realize with surprise that keeping my distance will be a challenge. Especially after what we just did. She made it possible for me to feel completely relaxed and at peace. I can’t remember the last time that I felt this way.
While it would be interesting to take her to the club, I also decide that she isn’t even close to being ready for such an adventure. One step at a time. We walk upstairs and at the landing I gesture down the short hallway toward the kitchen. “There’s a bathroom just off the kitchen if you need to… use it or clean up or anything.”
She smiles and nods. “Thank you, I’ll just be a moment.”
She walks off down the hallway, her tennis shoes barely making any noise on the wood floor. No sharp clack of heels that usually grated on my nerves as I waited for my subs to leave. I follow her several moments later and enter the kitchen area, where I open the refrigerator and pull out two cans of diet soda. I pop one open and chug down half of it before she emerges, her hair slightly damp, her face fresh. Holding my half empty can of soda, I gesture toward the other one.
“Thirsty?”
She smiles and reaches for it. “Thanks,” she says, popping the lid.
If she’s surprised I offered her a soda and not a drink, she doesn’t acknowledge it. She takes several sips and glances around, trying not to be overt about it.
“Would you like a tour?”
Her eyes widen but she nods. She takes a sip and then places the can back on the counter.
“You can bring it with you,” I say. Sipping from my own can, I give her the grand tour. Another first for me. Not one of my subs, not one, have ever been allowed past the kitchen door and into the rest of the house. In fact, the kitchen bathroom is as far as any of my previous “guests” have roamed in this house. I’ve never offered any of them anything, not even a glass of water. The basement playroom is one thing, but the rest of this house is my private domain. One I keep to myself. This place is only for me. Not Karen. Not Crystal. Not anyone. But I find myself wanting to share it with Ashley.
I shove thoughts of Karen out of my head. Playing the gracious host as I give Ashley a tour, listening to her murmurs of appreciation in regard to the structure, the décor, and the overall ambience. She laughs softly as we return to the kitchen.
“What?” I ask, honestly wanting to know. Another first.
“I think I can fit my entire apartment into your living room,” she comments. “You have a lovely home here, Daniel.”
I can tell she wants to ask. Why I keep the house a secret. She’s a smart girl. I’m sure she can figure that one out on her own.
She takes a last sip of her soda and then places the nearly empty can back down on the counter. She’s had enough. I reach for it, tip the can upside down into the sink, and listen to the remainder trickle downward. I follow suit with my own, then toss both cans in the trashcan under the sink.
“Let’s go.”
We make our way back outside to my car. “You want me to drop you back at the hotel or the office, or do you want me to take you home?”
She hesitates only a second. “Can you take me back to the hotel? I have a few errands I need to run in the neighborhood anyway.”
I nod, somewhat relieved that she didn’t taken me up on my offer to take her to her apartment. I feel torn. Torn between wanting to get to know her on a deeper level and wanting to keep her at arm’s length. No entanglements. No promises. No strings.